On the Ground with Samaritan's Purse

Ten years ago, Samaritan’s Purse responded to the Ebola outbreak in Liberia. Kristy Graham spoke with our staff who were on the ground from the beginning about their experiences fighting the deadly disease and the suffering they witnessed daily. Hear from the hearts of our team members about how they witnessed God’s faithfulness even as they walked through the deepest valley and how they learned t...

Hurricane Beryl roared through the Caribbean, leaving total destruction in its wake. On Grenada’s Carriacou Island, nearly all structures were destroyed. Less than 24 hours after the storm hit, Samaritan’s Purse began serving those in desperate need of help and hope. Tune in to this week’s episode to hear from Kaitlyn Josten, who joined the first wave of responders, about what it was like to partn...

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Samaritan’s Purse U.S. Disaster Relief, and the next generation is here to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ when homeowners are at their lowest. In this week’s episode, Bruce Poss with North American Ministries shared how he has seen God’s faithfulness through this next generation of servant leaders. Kristy Graham also spoke with two young volunteers abou...

Kristy Graham talks with Pastor Skip Heitzig, who pastors Calvary Church in Albuquerque and serves on the board of directors of Samaritan’s Purse. Pastor Skip shares how he came to know Christ through a Billy Graham sermon and talks about what it has been like to travel the world with Franklin Graham, witnessing Samaritan’s Purse projects in action. You will also hear how we can persevere amid suf...

In response to major flooding across southern Brazil last month, Samaritan's Purse sent a Disaster Assistance Response Team to help in Jesus’ Name. Hear stories from Leslie Klein, a member of our Disaster Assistance Response Team, and testimonies from pastors on the ground, who have witnessed the body of Christ come together in the wake of this tragedy.  Resources:   Read more about how Samar...

John Silkman, the country coordinator for Samaritan’s Purse in Israel, spoke with Kristy Graham about how he strives to walk in humble confidence and reliance on the Lord as he leads in a complex, tense region of the world. John shared what he is seeing on the ground in Israel and how Samaritan’s Purse programs build bridges in communities, providing hope to those hurting. Resources:   Read more a...

For 17 weeks every summer, military veterans and their spouses are invited to Operation Heal Our Patriots for a week-long marriage retreat. Kristy Graham takes listeners behind-the-scenes to experience what these military couples do day by day, immersing them in what life is like at Samaritan Lodge Alaska. Hear how the Lord transforms marriages through Biblically based marriage classes, excursions...

God is our ultimate healer—He can heal physically and,  more importantly, spiritually. Samaritan's Purse medical staff and volunteers treat people’s physical conditions, and they also share the love of Christ. Hear from members of our medical staff who have led teams providing cleft lip and cataract surgeries in remote corners of the world, served in mission hospitals, and been a part of Disa...

Parenting is a challenge, and when faced with a crumbling economy and healthcare system, expecting mothers in Venezuela felt helpless. A Samaritan’s Purse maternal-child health clinic near the Colombia-Venezuela border provides much-needed medical attention for moms and babies. While at the clinic, these families are cared for by doctors and chaplains, and are told about the greatest love that exi...

Dr. Ed Carns has served in the far corners of the world with Samaritan’s Purse both with World Medical Mission and the Disaster Assistance Response Team. He shares his testimony of how God used people in his life to point him to Christ and encourage him in his faith. The stories he shares with Kristy Graham demonstrate how God pursues each person individually.  Resources:   Find out more about Wor...

Bev Kauffeldt has served with Samaritan’s Purse around the world for more than two decades. Her life experience internationally coupled with her own testimony and cancer diagnosis have taught her to rely on God for strength daily. Bev candidly shares about failure and how it has taught her to rely on Christ.   Resources: Find out more about the Samaritan’s Purse Apprenticeship Program that Bev Kau...

Scripture is alive and active, and no matter the circumstances we face in life, God’s Word can help lift our eyes beyond our current situation and towards our eternal hope in Jesus Christ. This week, we are taking you behind the scenes to Samaritan’s Purse staff devotions where Randy Bishop talks about the history of the English Bible and how important it is that we not only read God’s Word, but c...

God is our hope and our ever-present help in trouble, but there are times when our circumstances seem impossible. For some families in countries with minimal health resources, their children suffer from an untreatable condition: a heart defect. This is where Children’s Heart Project steps in to provide life-changing heart surgery, and God works in their lives to bring hope in a seemingly impossibl...

Country directors play a key role in leading and carrying out the mission of Samaritan’s Purse in our 15 country offices around the world. They work to ensure the passion for the Gospel stays at the forefront of everything their office engages in—from preventing human trafficking to providing clean water. Kristy Graham spoke to Edward Densham, the senior director of international projects, about w...

Operation Heal Our Patriots transforms lives and gives veterans and their spouses hope in Jesus Christ. This week-long marriage retreat in Alaska provides military couples with Biblical training and Godly counsel, but the ministry does not stop there—Operation Heal Our Patriots walks with these couples for life. Kristy Graham, host of On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse, witnessed many military c...

Samaritan’s Purse protection programing around the world helps vulnerable women and girls experience God’s love in tangible ways by creating safer communities built on the foundation of Christ. Kristy Graham talked to Monica Napier, the global protection technical advisor, about her passion for this important work and her recent trip to Niger. Kristy also spoke with Hanna Mukora, a protection prog...

Joy Dagher is a devoted wife, mother, and ambassador for Christ, who has chosen to cling to the promises of God in all circumstances. Joy and her husband, Sami Dagher, who was featured in our last episode, have spent their lives sharing the Good News in dangerous places while also raising a family. Kristy Graham asked Joy about her life as a spouse in ministry, and how she has trusted in the Lord...

Pastor Sami Dagher has served the Lord for decades in hard places that are not open to the Gospel. On a recent visit to international headquarters, Kristy Graham asked Sami about his work in ministry, topics like prayer and discipleship, and how the Lord brought about his life verse. Sami is full of wisdom and, though his life has not been easy, he has taken his experiences and used them for good—...

Francis, a young boy born with a heart defect, was in desperate need of surgery. When Children's Heart Project approved Francis to receive this life-saving procedure at a partner hospital in the Cayman Islands, it was a burden lifted. Francis and the team were en route to the hospital until the plans changed abruptly—there was an emergency during the flight. Over the next 102 days, God worked...

Description: Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, joined hundreds of Israeli citizens last week to dedicate 14 new ambulances to Israel’s emergency services agency, Magen David Adom. Each ambulance was given in memory of fallen medics who lost their lives due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. While on the ground, our podcast correspondent, Stephen, spoke with partners and those we are h...

The news moves on quickly to the next headline, but God doesn't—He sees the pain and the hurt caused by natural and manmade disasters. Even in the most remote corners of the world or storms that only affect one person, God sees all of our needs. The disasters we cover today aren’t headline news, but they are responses in which God has given Samaritan’s Purse the opportunity to respond. This w...

Jim Dailey, vice president of communications at Samaritan’s Purse, spoke with Kristy Graham about how he has witnessed God’s sovereign, providential hand throughout his 25 years of working in the ministry. Jim shared about perseverance in times of trial, and what it has been like taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth.  Resources:   Learn how you can Help in Jesus’ Name .  Have You Heard the G...

Kristy Graham sat down with her father-in-law and Samaritan’s Purse president, Franklin Graham, who shared what he saw the Lord do in 2023. Franklin talked about where the organization responded around the world and how he saw God’s faithfulness in the midst of seemingly hopeless conflicts and disasters. Hear directly from Franklin’s heart about what stood out to him last year while also looking t...

Steve Nickel, vice president of Donor Ministries at Samaritan’s Purse, sits down with Kristy Graham to share his heart for the Lord and how he has been blessed through interacting with faithful supporters of the ministry. Steve talks about how he followed God’s call to come to Samaritan’s Purse and what it looks like to abide in Christ daily. Resources: Learn more about how you can give your time...

Watch this video about the Appalachian State University football packing party . It’s not too late to build an Operation Christmas Child shoebox online . Learn more about how you can host your own packing party in 2024 . Listen to Banding Together as the Body of Christ: Hurricane Otis to hear how Samaritan’s Purse is providing physical and spiritual relief to those hurting in Acapulco.